


i know the end

by digorykirke



Category: Chronicles of Narnia - All Media Types, Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis
Genre: Book: The Last Battle (Narnia), Canon Compliant, Gen, i know the end by phoebe bridgers, seven friends of narnia content bc i love them and we were robbed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-17 09:00:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29964000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/digorykirke/pseuds/digorykirke
Summary: "Shadow or spirit or whatever you are," he said, fixing his eyes full upon Tirian. "If you are from Narnia, I charge you in the name of Aslan, speak to me. I am Peter the High King."King Tirian appears to the Seven Friends of Narnia. Then what?
Relationships: Digory Kirke & Polly Plummer, Edmund Pevensie & Lucy Pevensie & Peter Pevensie & Susan Pevensie, Jill Pole & Eustace Scrubb
Kudos: 5





	i know the end

_"Children! Children! Friends of Narnia! Quick. Come to me. Across the worlds I call you; I Tirian, King of Narnia, Lord of Cair Paravel, and Emperor of the Lone Islands!"_

_And immediately he was plunged into a dream (if it was a dream) more vivid than any he had had in his life._

_He seemed to be standing in a lighted room where seven people sat round a table. It looked as if they had just finished their meal. Two of these people were very old, an old man with a white beard and an old woman with wise, merry, twinkling eyes. He who sat at the right hand of the old man was hardly full grown, certainly younger than Tirian himself, but his face had already the look of a king and a warrior. And you could almost say the same of the other youth who sat at the right hand of the old woman. Facing Tirian across the table sat a fair-haired girl younger than either of these, and on either side of her, a boy and girl who were younger still. They were all dressed in what seemed to Tirian the oddest kind of clothes._

_But he had no time to think about details like that, for instantly the youngest boy and both the girls started to their feet, and one of them gave a little scream. The old woman started and drew in her breath sharply. The old man must have made some sudden movement too for the wine glass which stood at his right hand was swept off the table: Tirian could hear the tinkling noise as it broke on the floor. Then Tirian realized that these people could see him; they were staring at him as if they saw a ghost. But he noticed that the king-like one who sat at the old man's right never moved (though he turned pale) except that he clenched his hand very tight._

_Then he said: "Speak, if you're not a phantom or a dream. You have a Narnian look about you and we are the seven friends of Narnia." Tirian was longing to speak, and he tried to cry out aloud that he was Tirian of Narnia, in great need of help. But he found (as I have sometimes found in dreams too) that his voice made no noise at all. The one who had already spoken to him arose to his feet. "Shadow or spirit or whatever you are," he said, fixing his eyes full upon Tirian. "If you are from Narnia, I charge you in the name of Aslan, speak to me. I am Peter the High King."_

_The room began to swim before Tirian's eyes. He heard the voices of those seven people all speaking at once, and all getting fainter every second, and they were saying things like, "Look! It's fading." "It's melting away." "It's vanishing." Next moment he was wide awake, still tied to the tree, colder and stiffer than ever._

_The wood was full of the pale, dreary light that comes before sunrise, and he was soaking wet with dew; it was nearly morning.  
_

_That waking was about the worst moment he had ever had in his life._

* * *

“Wait!” Peter yelled, lunging towards the fading figure of the vision, but he fell to his knees as the man disappeared into thin air. He couldn’t have been much older than Peter himself. He had looked so familiar… he had looked so much like _Caspian_.

“What was _that_?” Edmund questioned, his eyebrows furrowing.

“I’m not sure,” Lucy stammered.

“Eustace!” Polly called, frowning at the pieces of the wine glass Digory had dropped, “help me sweep up these glass shards,”

“Of course, Aunt Polly!” he answered, rushing over to her.

Peter finally got to his feet again, dusting himself off, “He looked– he looked Narnian,” he said miserably, “I am the _High King_. He should’ve spoken to me,”

“Who was he?” Jill asked, “A shadow or spirit, you said?”

Peter seemed lost for words, reconciling his thoughts,“Caspian,” he stammered.

“That’s right,” Edmund exclaimed suddenly, “He looked like Caspian!”

“But how did he even appear here, in our world?” Eustace asked.

“I’m not sure,” Edmund slumped into a chair, “I’ve never heard of anything of the sort. A Narnian appearing in our own world,”

“Caspian appeared in our world, once, remember?” Jill sat up straight.

“After he _died_ ,” Peter sounded bitter, “And he didn’t appear to us,” he added, looking to Edmund and Lucy.

“And that was with the help of Aslan,” the Professor pointed out, “nothing can be done without the Lion,”

“Then Aslan must’ve brought him to us!” Jill said excitedly, “Narnia must be in danger!”

“We aren’t allowed to go back,” Edmund said mournfully. Lucy and Peter felt an identical pang in their heart at those words. They wish they could go back. Lucy missed it every day. Edmund has missed it his entire life. Peter will miss it as long as he lives, from now into forever. 

“But we can go back!” Eustace spoke up, “Pole and I. Aslan never told us we couldn’t,”

“There must be some way,” Jill agreed, “We can go back to Narnia and help that man who appeared in our dining room,”

“Only you jolly well can’t take yourselves there,” Edmund pointed out.

“That is a pin in our plans!” she thought for a moment, “Eustace,” she said hesitantly, “What if we stood in a circle like last time?”

Eustace flushed, embarrassed at the thought.“I don’t think that’ll work again,” he shifted his weight onto his other foot, “After all, things never happen the same way twice,”

“Oh, I do wish Susan were here!” Lucy looked sad, “I’m sure she would know what to do,”

“She was invited here, tonight, wasn’t she?” Peter said dryly, “She chose not to come. She always chooses not to,”

If Peter had thought you couldn’t love and hate someone at the same time, and despise them for what they did but still miss them, their times in Narnia, and the times afterwards had stripped him of that notion. It could be argued that he missed Susan the most of all of them, a fact that mostly manifested itself in anger.

“Besides,” he added, voice hard, “She doesn’t believe in our silly children’s games,”

Edmund winced, putting his arm around Lucy, “It’s alright Lu,” he said, “Susan will come around,”

“No she won’t,” Peter called, walking away.

“She will,” Edmund stated, ignoring him, “She will,”

Jill seemed unconvinced.

“What’s meant to happen will,” said Digory, sighing, “all in due time, all in due time. If Aslan wills it,”

“Something is wrong in Narnia,” Polly said slowly, “This isn’t like ever before. There must be a reason we were all led to gather here tonight,”

“There must be some way to get back,” Jill murmured.

Suddenly a thought occurred to Digory. Images flashed through his brain, from almost a lifetime ago. He and Polly, in Uncle Andrew’s study with the rings, one green, one yellow. The dead world of Charn. The Wood Between the Worlds. Jadis. The Deplorable Word.

“That’s just it!” Digory exclaimed, “There is a way!”

“There is?” Lucy sounded doubtful.

“Remember the rings Polly and I told you about,” Digory said, “from our adventure into Narnia,”

“One yellow, one green,” Edmund realized, “One way into Narnia, one way out,”

“Do you think we could use them to get back?” Eustace leaned forward.

“Or, rather, _should_ we?” Peter asked, directing his question to Polly and Digory, “What if Aslan doesn’t want us to?”

“He looked desperate,” Polly said, “This must be the reason he was brought here. I think we should,”  
“I agree,” Digory looked to Polly, “It’s worth a try,”

“Where are these rings?” Jill asked, “and how soon can we get them?”

“That’s the rub,” Digory sighed, leaning back in his seat, “I’d forgotten. They’re buried in the garden of the old house. Up in London,”

“The one that’s been sold,” Peter groaned. “So it seems that idea’s out,”

“Or not. I’ve an idea,” Edmund tilted his head, “To retrieve them, I mean,”

“You do?” Jill said eagerly, “Now, get on with it, what is it?”

“Perhaps, Peter and I could go up to London and dig them up when the people who live there are otherwise occupied,”

“You’re going to sneak onto a stranger’s private property and dig up their garden,” Lucy stared in disbelief.

“Well, when you say it like _that_ it sounds bad,” Edmund said.

“We could dress like workmen so we’ll look as if we’re supposed to be there,” Peter suggested, “working in their garden,”

“Not a bad idea,” Edmund nodded his head.

“Doesn’t that sound like a bit much?” Eustace said, “It seems very dramatic,”

“Don’t be silly, Eustace!” Jill said, elbowing him, “it’s important to always be prepared for any circumstance,”

Polly pursed her lips, seeming to be on Eustace’s side, but Digory nodded enthusiastically.

“Exactly!” Peter looked pleased, “This may just work,” He felt hope rising in him.

“ _What a ridiculous idea!”_ he could hear Susan exclaim, just as she always did, a million times before.

Only Susan wasn’t here.

“Oh, let me go with you!” Jill jumped up, “Come on, Peter, please!” Eustace looked horrified.

“Jill,” he began, “Why would you want–”

Peter laughed, “Sorry, Jill,” he shook his head, “I don’t think you should,’  
“Edmund,” she whined looking towards him, “Let me come with you,”

He shook his head too, a slight smile on his face, “You heard what Peter said,”

“So if Peter didn’t say so, you _would_ let me come,” she said triumphantly.

“Who can say?” he replied, “But Peter does say,”

“Well that’s not fair,” Jill pouted, “It sounds like such fun,”

Edmund looked to Peter, “When should we go?”

“Friday morning?” Peter said hesitantly, “that’s in what, five days?”

“Of course you have to choose the day Eustace and I have to be in school,” Jill sulked.

“We can meet you at a place on your way down there and hand over the Rings,” Peter said, “You two are the ones going after all,”

“We’ll come as well,” Digory said, a glint in his eyes, “Me and Polly,”

“I’d like to come too,” Lucy stated, “Since we’re making this a group excursion now,”

“Alright, then that’s the plan,” Edmund affirmed, “To go over it, first, Peter and I will–”

* * *

It was early in the morning and Edmund was both tired and beginning to think Peter truly lacked any sense of subtlety. Perhaps it _would_ have been more prudent to bring Jill instead. At least she wouldn’t clang her shovel on the ground so loudly.

“If you keep that up,” he leaned towards Peter, “It’ll be a matter of time before we both get caught for _trespassing.”_

“I didn’t do anything!” Peter retorted.

A light on the back porch of the house flicked on, and Edmund heard footsteps on the wood. He glanced and saw a faint silhouette of a woman.

He took a deep breath. Now they’d gone and done it. They were really going to get caught.

“Harold,” the woman called back into the house, an edge of worry in her voice, “There’s something in the garden,”  
“Are you sure?” this supposed Harold asked, stepping out into the back garden, trying to peer through the dark.

“Oh, come on, Peter, hurry!” Edmund hissed, “This is all your fault for making such a racket,”  
“I’m not the one making the racket!” Peter shot back, quite loudly in fact.

“Now they’ve definitely heard you,” he let out a sharp breath and kept digging faster.

Peter’s shovel suddenly clanged against something in the ground, making a hollow noise.

“I think I’ve found it!” he whispered loudly, digging out a cloth pouch. He held it up, trying to see it in the light of the faint sunrise.

“Are you sure?” Edmund asked.

“Yes,” he said, reaching into the bags, “This is it,” he confirmed.

“Alright then, let’s get out of here before they _really_ catch us,”

“Harold!” he heard the woman call in the distance again, “I think I heard something again!”

* * *

Everything was according to plan. Peter and Edmund had sent a wire saying they had the rings and the others were just getting to the station where the others were to meet them. But as Jill was looking out of the window of the train to see if she could see them, there came a most frightful jerk and a noise.


End file.
